Brahmin

American  

[brah-min] / ˈbrɑ mɪn /

noun

plural

Brahmin, Brahmins

1. Hinduism. Brahman.

2. (especially in New England) a person usually from an old, respected family who, because of wealth and social position, wields considerable social, economic, and political power.

3. a person who is intellectually or socially aloof.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a Brahmin.

   the Brahmin attitudes of a true aristocrat.

Brahmin British  

/ ˈbrɑːmɪn /

noun

1. the older spelling of Brahman

2. (in the US) a highly intelligent or socially exclusive person, esp a member of one of the older New England families

3. an intellectual or social snob

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Other Word Forms

• Brahminic adjective
• Brahminical adjective
• non-Brahminic adjective
• non-Brahminical adjective
• un-Brahminical adjective

Etymology

Origin of Brahmin

First recorded in 1475–85; variant of Brahman ¹

Example Sentences

Richard Henry Dana was a Boston Brahmin and a Harvard man who took to sea on an ordinary merchant ship.

From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2025

The movie stars actor Nayanthara as a Hindu Brahmin woman who aspires to become a chef.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2024

In his 2021 book Woke Inc., he wrote about his family’s position as Brahmin, often considered the highest of Hindu castes.

From Slate • Nov. 9, 2023

Sawant, who identifies as a socialist, has acknowledged her own personal privilege, noting that she grew up in an upper-caste Hindu Brahmin household in India and witnessed caste discrimination first-hand.

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2023

"I have been told,” the merchant began, "that you are a Brahmin, a learned man, but that you seek service with a merchant. Are you then in need, Brahmin, that you seek service?”

From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse

Related Words

• courteous
• elegant
• genteel
• polite